93.
Then bespake the duke of France,
Calling my lord of Learne truly,
He said, 'I doubt the day be come
That either you or I must die.'

94.
They set the castle round about,
A swallow could not have flown away;
And there they took the false steward
That the lord of Learne did betray.

95.
And when they had taken the false steward,
He fell low down upon his knee,
And craved mercy of the lord of Learne
For the villainous deed he had done, truly.

96.
'Thou shalt have mercy,' said the lord of Learne,
'Thou vile traitor! I tell to thee,
As the laws of the realm they will thee bear,
Whether it be for thee to live or die.'

97.
A quest of lords that there was chosen
To go upon his death, truly:
There they judged the false steward,
Whether he was guilty, and for to die.

98.
The foreman of the jury, he came in;
He spake his words full loud and high:
Said, 'Make thee ready, thou false steward,
For now thy death it draws full nigh!'

99.
Said he, 'If my death it doth draw nigh,
God forgive me all I have done amiss!
Where is that lady I have loved so long,
Before my death to give me a kiss?'

100.
'Away, thou traitor!' the lady said,
'Avoid out of my company!
For thy vile treason thou hast wrought,
Thou had need to cry to God for mercy.'

101.
First they took him and hang'd him half,
And let him down before he was dead,
And quartered him in quarters many,
And sod him in a boiling lead.

102.
And then they took him out again,
And cutten all his joints in sunder,
And burnt him eke upon a hill;
I-wis they did him curstly cumber.

103.
A loud laughter the lady laughed;
O Lord! she smiled merrily;
She said, 'I may praise my heavenly King,
That ever I seen this vile traitor die.'

104.
Then bespake the duke of France,
Unto the right lord of Learne said he there,
Says, 'Lord of Learne, if thou wilt marry my daughter,
I'll mend thy living five hundred [pounds] a year.'

105.
But then bespake that bonny boy,
And answered the duke quickly,
'I had rather marry your daughter with a ring of gold,
Than all the gold that e'er I blinked on with mine eye.'

106.
But then bespake the old lord of Learne,
To the duke of France thus he did say,
'Seeing our children do so well agree,
They shall be married ere we go a